And now these Ground Chicken Tacos. Yum yum. I’ve recently realized how good ground chicken is, so these really hit the spot. But, despite how much Rick and I both liked these, next time I put tacos on the menu, I guess we’ll have to go back to traditional ground beef. 🙂

Directions:
Place the ground chicken in your crockpot, breaking up the meat as much as possible (it does not need to be browned first). Add the onion, garlic, and spices. Add the tomato sauce and stir gently to combine, but don’t over stir.

Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. At end of cook time, drain the juices if desired. Serve with your favorite taco fixings, or on top of a bed of lettuce as a taco salad!

I made this recipe once before, way back when. I’m pretty sure it was one of the first recipes I ever made in my crockpot, long before I started this blog. It’s kind of sad that it took me this long to get around to making it again. Possibly because it’s so obviously unhealthy that I feel guilty about it (although that doesn’t usually stop me, so maybe that’s not the reason after all). But, no matter the reason, I decided to make this dip for book club because, well, it just sounded good.

This dip was a big hit with the book club ladies, but an even bigger hit with Rick. As soon as everyone left, Rick finished off almost all of what was left. I promised I’d make this dip again soon so he can have more of it without have to share. 🙂

For a meal earlier in the week, I had bought a 5 lb. bag of red potatoes and a big bag of baby carrots. I don’t usually have a problem using up the baby carrots, but the potatoes are another story. No matter what, I always seem to waste potatoes, and I hate that. So this time around, I was determined not to do that. When I realized how many potatoes we had left, I quickly threw this on the meal plan.

Now, let me preface this by saying I am NOT a meat and potatoes type of girl. That might imply that I’m a health-food type of girl instead, but that’s not really the case, either. In reality, I think it’s safe to say that I’m a pasta/casserole type of girl.

So with that in mind, it was a huge shock to both me and Rick when I really, really liked this recipe! I was fully expecting it to be dry and bland, but that was not the case at all. The potatoes, when tossed with the olive oil and herbs, were delicious and very flavorful. The chicken (also very flavorful) was very moist. I think the key here is to use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, which I think I’ll continue to have on hand for this type of dish.

I’m pretty proud of myself for branching out and trying a “meat and potatoes” dish—and liking it!

I have been craving cauliflower. I think it all started when I just kept hearing so much about cauliflower mashed potatoes. I just couldn’t imagine what this might taste like, but I knew I wanted to try it. My craving kept building up and building up until one day when I saw some cauliflower on sale at the grocery. I knew that it was finally time.

You can tell I’ve been wanting to try different cauliflower recipes when you look at my Google Reader. Here are just a few of the recipes I’ve been saving recently:

This recipe was really good. When Rick and I took our first bites, we were amazed! I wouldn’t say it tastes exactly like mashed potatoes, but the texture is similar so I can see this being an easy and healthy substitute. My only complaint about this dish is that it seemed to lose its heat quickly after we dished it up onto our plates … but I’d say that’s just an excuse to eat it faster! haha

Cut the cauliflower into florets and place in your crockpot. Add in the water, garlic cloves, salt, and bay leaf. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours.

At end of cook time, remove the garlic cloves and bay leaf. Drain the water. Add in the butter and let it melt. Use a potato masher, an immersion blender, or just a spoon to mash the cauliflower. If it needs milk, add it in a tablespoon at a time (I didn’t use any). Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with green onions if you have any (I wish I had!).

I have recently grown to love Caesar salads. I know they aren’t the healthiest salads in the world, but every now and then, they really hit the spot. Maybe that’s why this recipe for Chicken Caesar Sandwiches caught my attention when it popped up in my Google Reader. No matter the reason, I couldn’t wait to make it.

These sandwiches were delicious! I tried to keep the dressing to a minimum to save on calories, but my advice to you is to just go for it—it’s totally worth it. The next time I make this recipe, I plan to serve it on top of a bed of lettuce and add some croutons and see if we like it that way. These salads would also make a great summery appetizer when served on slider buns. Either way, I’ll definitely be making this recipe again soon.

Directions:
Place chicken in your crockpot with about a cup of water. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

At end of cook time, drain the water and shred the chicken using your preferred method. Add the chicken back into your crockpot, along with the dressing, cheese, pepper, and parsley. Stir until mixed well. Cook on high for another 30 minutes until the mixture is hot. Serve on your favorite hamburger buns with lettuce and extra cheese. Enjoy!